Rufus wright



@nitro ftatrsjgatrat @ffice RUFUS WRIGHT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

Latas Param No. 77,561, ma May 5, 186s.

TMPROVED CHERRY-STONBR.

T0 ALL WHOM IT MAY GONCERN y Be it known that I, RUFUS WRIGHT, of Brooklyn, in the county`of Kings, and Statelof New Yorkhha've invented a new and improved Machine for Stoning Cherries; andldo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of this speeication.

This invention relates to a new and improved machine for removing the stones from cherries; and it'consists in thc employment or use of an intermittinglyrotating feed-wheel, and in means for operating the same,

and also iu certain -means for insuring the feeding of but one cherry ata time to the stone-ejeeting apparatus, I

' all being constructed and arranged as hereinafter set forth, whereby a very simple and eicient apparatus for i the purpose speciiie'dis obtained.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings- Figure lis a side sectional view of my invention, taken`in the line x'z'v, hg. 2. Figure 2, a horizontal section of the same, taken inthe line y y, iig. 1. Figure 8, a detached inverted plan of a lever pertaining to the same. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. y

A representsthe base'ot` the machine, to one end of which a lever, B, isattaehed by a hinge or joint, a.

This lever has an oblong slot, b, made in it, near its free or disengaged end, and tothe under side of the lever,

beyond the outer end of the slot, there is a pendent projection, c, the objeetofwhich will be presently seen.

C represents a wheel, which has four (more or less) holes d, made through-,it near its periphery. This wheel is fitted. loosely on a rod, e, which passes through the base, A, and to the upper end of the rod-ethere is attached a vertical flat plate, D, the upper part of which is made in spiral form, as shown-ntf. Thisplate D passes through a slot, y, in a metal,A plate, 7i, which is attached to the under side of thev lever B, below the slot' In O n the rod e, at the inner end of4 the plate D, there is a ratchet, E, provided with four teeth z', or as many teeth as there are Aholes d in the wheel C, and to the uppersuri'ace of the wheel C there is attached a pawl, F,

` against which the teeth i of the ratchet catch.

G represents a series .of needles, which are attached to the under side of the lever, in line with`- the path of rotation of the holes d, and H is an angular metal plate, which is attached to the base, A, and projects over the rear part of the wheel, the portion which projects or extends over the wheel being slotted -longitudinally,

as shown atj in iig. 2.'

I represents a hopper, which is attached to a fixture, J, at one side of the base, A, therlower end .of which said hopper being just above the upper surface ofy the wheel G. K is a yoke or band,which is fitted on the lower end of the hopper, and is connected thereto by a joint, 7c, so that the part opposite to said joint,-and which rests on the upper surface of wheel C, may rise and fall freelyA The opera-tionjs as follows: l p The cherries may be fed into the hopper I through an'y proper spout or trough, it not being designed that the hopper shall hold more than tworcherries, in order to a'void superineumbent weight. The holes d in the wheel'C are designed to besuiiciently large to receive the largest-sized cherries,- but not large enough to receive two small ones, thel largest portion of the uppermost small cherry to be above the level of the wheel O.

Each time the lever'B is raised, the plate D will beturned, owing to thespiral form of its upper partf being fitted in the slot g of plate li, and the wheel is turned alqnarter of a revolution each time said leveris raised, and a hole, zi, with a cherry in it, is brought under the slotted upper part of the plateH.

tEaeh time the lever B is forced down, the needles Gr penetrate the cherry inthe hole d, underneath them', and force out the stone from theeherry througha hole, cX, in the base, A, the upper end of said hole serving to centre the cherry in the holes d of the wheel C. d i

" As the lever B is drawn upward the plate E prevents the cherry fromI rising with the needles, and the stoneless cherries drop out through a notch,'l, in the front end of the base,"as each hole dpasses over said notch.

The yoke or band K, in case of two small cherries beingi'n a. hole, d, retains the top cherry, or prevents it from passing along in the hole with the lower one; and in case of one large cherry being in the hole, and project/ing a trifle above it, the yoke or band will readily rise a little to allow it to pass, as the top ofthe cherry1 will piessfagainst K at its lower part, below the joint 7c, whereas the upper cherry of' the small ones will press against K at too'high a point to raise it. t

The pendent projection c prevents the lever B being pressed down so far as to allow the pcntsof 'the' needles G to come in contact with the plate H or wheel C when a hole, d, is not in line with the needles, the projection Ac, in this case, striking the upper surface of the wheel C, in consequence of a hole, d, not being in line with it. By this lmeans the needles are preserved from injury, in cnse the lever B isforeed down before bein full raised, and the wheel C conseiuentl not turned a full uarter of a revolution.

g .Y (l y (l Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'- 1. The intermittingly-rotating feed-wheel C, when operated by the lever B, or other device, which carries the stene-ejcctng needles G, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The pendent projection or guard c, attached to the needle-bar or lerer B, in connection with the intermittingly-rotating feed-wheel C, for the purpose specified.

3. Thev yoke or-band K, attached to the hopper I, in connection with thofced-wheel 0,. arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

d. The spiral plate D, ratchet E, p awl F, `and the lever B, or its equivalent, for operating the wheel C, all

arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified'.

' RUFUS WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

WM. F. McNamara, ALEX. F. ROBERTS. 

